Installation tool for casing protectors



July 21, 1953 J. F. MEDEARIS INSTALLATION TOOL FOR CASING PROTECTORS Filed Sept. 18, 1948 JZMMS E Mwmms ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1953- INSTALLATION TOOL FOR CASING PROTECTORS James F. Medearis. Yentura'; Calif. 7 Application September 18, 1948, Serial No. 49,972

6 Claims. (01. 254-66) This invention relates to oil well equipment and particularly pertains to installation tools for casing protectors. Y

said wall together and interlocking the plates In the form of easing protectordisclosed in my co-pending application filed concurrently herewith I have shown a resilient protector sleeve which is split longitudinally along a parting plane, the free edges of said split portion carrying plates which interlock to "hold the sleeve under tension and in an embracing position around the drill string; In order to apply the protector sleeveto the drill pipeit is necessary to positively engage the sleeve at opposite sides of said parting plane and to draw said free portions of the sleeve together in a manner to cause the interlocking means to engage and hold the sleeve. It-is the principal object of the present invention to provide aninstallation tool by which the sleeve may be engaged and by which power may be applied to draw the sleeve into an embracing position around the drill pipe with the contiguous faces of the sleeve wall at the parting plane in abutting relation with each other and in a manv her to cause the latch means to become engaged.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an arcuate device adapted to conform to the outer cylindrical contour of a casingsleeve and to positively engage the same at points therealong, said device including means whereby power may be applied to draw the abutting faces of the casing wall together and produce engagement of the interlocking means.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which; i

. Figure l is a view in elevation showing the ine l3 and I4.

The structure comprises an arcuate gear segment I9 having teeth along the outer edge thereof. A bar 2| is secured to one'end of thesegment l9 and extends parallel to the axis of. the gear segment. This bar is of a length substantially agreeing in length with that of the protector sleeve II]. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing the bar is fitted with a plurality of pins 22. These pins agree in number and position with the openings or pockets l8 formed throughout the length of the protector sleeve Ill. The dimensions of the bar 2| are such as to space the inner arcuate face of the segment |9 from the cir- ,stallation tool with which the present invention' a is concerned.

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section through gear 33.

: cumference of the protector sleeve Ii] when the inner face of the bar 2| rests against the outer circumference of the sleeve l0 andis disposed lengthwise thereof. Secured to the arcuate segsecured to the bar 23 and is formed with a bearing or guideway 26 through which the segment 9 extends and along which it may move. A lower wall section 21 having an upper arcuate face provides a retaining support for the segment 9. The

frame structure has Q posite end walls 28 and 29 which are spaced from each, other and side walls 30 In the space between the end and side walls a ratchet arm 3| is disposed. This arm is pivotally mounted upon a ratchet gear pin 32. Freely mounted upon the pin 32 is a ratchet The teeth of the ratchet gear 33 engage the teeth 26 on the segment H). The ratchet arm 3| carries a pawl 34 which is pivoted upon a pin 35 and has a tooth 36 at its free end to engagelthe teeth of the ratchet gear 33. A spring 3'! yieldably holds the tooth 36 of the pawl 34 in engagement with the ratchet gear 33. A look pawl 38 is pivoted upon a pin 39 in the frame 29 and has'a tooth 40 which engages the teeth of theratchet gear33. The pawl 38 also has an exby a radially extending outer portion II and an obliquely extending inner portion I2. Imbedded within the free edges of the wall at opposite sides of said parting plane are latch plates I3 and I4 fitted with hook-portions l5 and I6, respectively. These hook portions are complementary and extend across the plane of the parting portion l2 so that they may be moved into interlocking engagement with each other. The plates !3 and M are formed with perforations which are intersected by pockets or openings l8 formed in the resilient wall of the casing protector'lt. The present invention is concerned with means for drawing the contiguous edges of tension against which a spring 4| acts. This tends-to urge the tooth 48 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet gear 33 and will hold the ratchet-gear 33 from moving while the pawl 34 is acting torotate the gear 33.

7 At the free endyofthe ratchet arm 3| is a socket 42 to receive a handle 45 by which the arm 3| may be oscillated.- Mounted uponthe frame 29 at M is another socket by which a handle 45 may be held.

In operation of the present invention the casing protector is placed in an embracing position around a drill pipe by spreading it along its parting plane. After this has been accomplished the pins 22 and 'ill may beinserted in the openings or pockets l8 and pressed inwardly until they pass through the perforations I! in the plates |3 and I l. The frame structure 29 may be then held firmly by the handle 45 and the arm 3i may be caused to oscillate around the pin 32. The spring Sl' will hold the tooth 35 of the pawl 34 in engagement with a tooth on the ratchet gear 33, and as the arm Si is moved by its handle 43 in the direction of the arrow at the ratchet gear 33 will move in the direction of the arrow 1), as indicated in Fig. 1. This will tend to pull thegear segment i9 in the direction of the arrow :2, as indicated in Fig. l, and when the end of the stroke of the arm SI has been completed the tooth 40 of the pawl 38 will engage a tooth of'the ratchet gear 33 and hold the gear 33 and the segment 59 in their tightened position. This will draw the pins 22 and 24 toward each other and force the hook portions l and 56 of the plates l3 and 14 into an interlocking relation as the sleeve is pulled tightly around the drill pipe and the abutting portions ii and i2 along the parting plane are forced together. When the portions l5 and it have been interlocked the segment l9 may be released by pressing on the extension of the pawl 3?, to withdraw the tooth M) from engagement with the teeth on the gear 33. The tool may be then instantly withdrawn from engagement with the sleeve.

It will thus be seen that with the structure here disclosed resilient casing protectors may be easily positioned upon a drill pipe at any desired point along the length thereof and then rigidly clamped in this position by simple and eifective power applying means.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes may be made in combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention asclaimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An installing tool for applying a tubular cylindrical casing protector to a drill pipe, said protector being split longitudinally at a point in its circumference and being formed with pockets extending through its outer circumference adjacent to said split, the tool comprising a pair of pull bars, each bar carrying pins to extend into the pockets on the casing protector, an arcuate gear segment partially circumscribing said protector and to which one of said pull bars is fixed, a frame structure, means movably mounting said gear segment whereby the latter moves circumferentially of the casing protector, the other of saidpull bars being fixed to the frame, a gear carried by the frame and in mesh with said segment, and power applying means for driving said gear and moving said segment whereby the pins will tend to draw the contiguous edges of the casing protector together.

2. An installing tool for applying a tubular cylindrical casing protector to a drill pipe, said protector being split longitudinally at a point in its circumference and being formed with pockets extending through its outer circumference adjacent to said split, the tool comprising a pair of pull bars, each bar carrying pins to extend into the pockets on the casing protector, an arcuate gear segment partially circumscribing said protector and to which one of said pull bars is fixed, a frame structure, means movably mounting said gear segment whereby the latter moves circumferentially of the casing protector, the other of the pins on the pulling bars will be drawn toward each other.

3. The structure of claim 2 including latch means acting to temporarily hold the ratchet gear against reverse rotation.

4, A tool of the character described comprising a frame formed with an arcuate guide slot through it, an arcuate gear segment adapted to move through said guide slot, said gear segment having a series of teeth along its outer circumference, a'ratchet gear rotatably mounted within the frame and meshing with the teeth of the gear segment whereby the segment will be held within its slot'and will be moved as the ratchet gear rotates, a lever arm mounted within the frame to oscillate around the axis of the ratchet gear, a pawl carried by the lever arm to engage the ratchet gear and rotate the same as the arm oscillates inone direction, a pawl carried by the frame structure and engaging the ratchet gear to latch it against rotation in the opposite direction, a pull bar fixed'to the frame and carrying a series of pins spaced throughout the length thereof and disposed radially of the axis of the gear segment, and a pull bar fixed to the gear segment and carrying a series of pins extending radially of the axis of the gear segment, whereby upon oscillation of the lever arm the pins will be moved simultaneously with relation to each other.

-5. An installing tool for applying a tubular cylindrical casing protector to a drill pipe, said protector being split longitudinally at a given point throughout its length and being formed with pockets in its contiguous edges, said tool including: an arcuate element; an arcuate bearing in which said arcuate element is adapted to slide; pins on said element and said bearing which are adapted to be extended into said pockets when said tool is shifted into operative relation with said casing protector and said pipe, the curvature of said el ment and said bearing being so formed as to be substantially concentric with said pipe when said tool is so positioned; and power means for causing relative rotation between said element and said bearing concentric with said protector, with the tool so positioned, to exert a pull on the contiguous edges of said protector to contract the latter about said pipe.

6. A combination as in claim 5 in which said element is in the form of a gear segment, and in which said power means includes a pinion rotatably mounted on said bearing so as to mesh with said gear segment; andmanually operable ratchet means mounted on said bearing for transmitting tooth by tooth rotation to said pinion wheel and thereby sliding said element in said bearing to constrict said casing protector about said pipe.

JAMES F. MEDEARIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

